Read Online Love Finds You in Poetry, Texas by Janice Hanna - Free Book Online
Authors: Janice Hanna
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it.”
“No, the color is perfect. The ring is quite unique—and beautiful, to boot.” Belinda extended her hand, more than thrilled with his purchase. “It’s about Corabelle.” She squeezed her eyes shut and whispered a prayer. Opening them, she forced the words out. “James proposed and they’re getting married in two weeks at the church.”
“W–what?” Georg’s face took on an ashen look. “I think you’d better repeat that.”
“James and Corabelle are engaged. There’s just no other way to say it. The wedding is planned. We’re...well, we’re all invited. The whole town.”
Georg slumped down onto the bench in front of the barbershop. Belinda watched the tips of his ears turn red. For a moment, he didn’t say a word. Then, finally, he extended his hand. “I guess I won’t be needing the ring, then.”
She reached to pull it from her finger, but her breath caught in her throat as she realized it was stuck. “Oh, Georg!”
“What?” He rose to his feet and grasped her hand. “Don’t tell me it’s—”
“I’m trying. Hold on a minute. Please.” She wrestled with it, unable to get it to budge.
“Here, I know.” Georg turned to the right and then the left, making sure no one was watching. Then he took hold of her arm and led her into the empty barbershop. “I’ll lather it up. The soap will help it come loose.”
“Are you sure?” She continued to fight with the stubborn ring but couldn’t get it past her knuckle. “Ugh! This is so humiliating! I always told Mama I had a boy’s hands. Now I have the proof.”
“Don’t be silly,” Georg argued. “That ring is very small. I knew it would have to be sized, most likely.”
“Still.” Belinda shook her head, more embarrassed than anything else. She watched as Georg took some of the minty lather and worked it into her finger, the slippery stuff now encompassing the ring on every side.
“Let’s try this one more time.” Georg grasped the ring and pulled it. Unfortunately, it came flying off with such speed that it shot across the room and landed in one of the shaving mugs on the other side.
Belinda sprinted that way and dished it out. Holding it up with her lather-covered hand, she grinned. “Your ring!”
“Yes.” He frowned. “My ring that I no longer need.”
“Don’t be silly, Georg.” She shook her head, determined to make the best of this. “God has the perfect woman for you, and I plan to find her. Just give me a little time and I’ll make good on that, I promise.”
“I really don’t think you need to bother,” Georg said, looking more disheartened than ever.
“Oh, but I must! You paid for Corabelle’s train fare, and I can use the money to bring someone else.”
Georg put his hand up and she stopped talking right away. “Belinda, listen. I appreciate your help, but I think it’s clear we’re getting ahead of the Lord on this. You go right ahead and help the other men, those who feel called to marry. As for me...well, I do believe I was right, that day in the mercantile.”
“Oh?” She shook her head, not remembering.
“You asked how I would feel if you told me the Lord had laid it on your heart to find me a bride. Do you remember how I responded?”
A rush of emotion came over Belinda, along with a wave of guilt, which niggled at her conscience. “Y–yes.” She whispered the word.
“What did I say?”
“You asked me to seek Him again for further explanation because you were quite happy in your current state.” She sighed as she glanced his way, ready to dispute his words. “But I told you then...and I’ll tell you now...you are a lonely man, Georg Kaufman. And I will find the woman of your dreams, if you’ll just give me one more chance. As I’ve said before, it’s all a matter of science. Merged with faith, of course. Your perfect complement is out there. I know it!”
He opened his mouth as if to speak but then closed it right away. After a moment’s silence, he gave
“No, the color is perfect. The ring is quite unique—and beautiful, to boot.” Belinda extended her hand, more than thrilled with his purchase. “It’s about Corabelle.” She squeezed her eyes shut and whispered a prayer. Opening them, she forced the words out. “James proposed and they’re getting married in two weeks at the church.”
“W–what?” Georg’s face took on an ashen look. “I think you’d better repeat that.”
“James and Corabelle are engaged. There’s just no other way to say it. The wedding is planned. We’re...well, we’re all invited. The whole town.”
Georg slumped down onto the bench in front of the barbershop. Belinda watched the tips of his ears turn red. For a moment, he didn’t say a word. Then, finally, he extended his hand. “I guess I won’t be needing the ring, then.”
She reached to pull it from her finger, but her breath caught in her throat as she realized it was stuck. “Oh, Georg!”
“What?” He rose to his feet and grasped her hand. “Don’t tell me it’s—”
“I’m trying. Hold on a minute. Please.” She wrestled with it, unable to get it to budge.
“Here, I know.” Georg turned to the right and then the left, making sure no one was watching. Then he took hold of her arm and led her into the empty barbershop. “I’ll lather it up. The soap will help it come loose.”
“Are you sure?” She continued to fight with the stubborn ring but couldn’t get it past her knuckle. “Ugh! This is so humiliating! I always told Mama I had a boy’s hands. Now I have the proof.”
“Don’t be silly,” Georg argued. “That ring is very small. I knew it would have to be sized, most likely.”
“Still.” Belinda shook her head, more embarrassed than anything else. She watched as Georg took some of the minty lather and worked it into her finger, the slippery stuff now encompassing the ring on every side.
“Let’s try this one more time.” Georg grasped the ring and pulled it. Unfortunately, it came flying off with such speed that it shot across the room and landed in one of the shaving mugs on the other side.
Belinda sprinted that way and dished it out. Holding it up with her lather-covered hand, she grinned. “Your ring!”
“Yes.” He frowned. “My ring that I no longer need.”
“Don’t be silly, Georg.” She shook her head, determined to make the best of this. “God has the perfect woman for you, and I plan to find her. Just give me a little time and I’ll make good on that, I promise.”
“I really don’t think you need to bother,” Georg said, looking more disheartened than ever.
“Oh, but I must! You paid for Corabelle’s train fare, and I can use the money to bring someone else.”
Georg put his hand up and she stopped talking right away. “Belinda, listen. I appreciate your help, but I think it’s clear we’re getting ahead of the Lord on this. You go right ahead and help the other men, those who feel called to marry. As for me...well, I do believe I was right, that day in the mercantile.”
“Oh?” She shook her head, not remembering.
“You asked how I would feel if you told me the Lord had laid it on your heart to find me a bride. Do you remember how I responded?”
A rush of emotion came over Belinda, along with a wave of guilt, which niggled at her conscience. “Y–yes.” She whispered the word.
“What did I say?”
“You asked me to seek Him again for further explanation because you were quite happy in your current state.” She sighed as she glanced his way, ready to dispute his words. “But I told you then...and I’ll tell you now...you are a lonely man, Georg Kaufman. And I will find the woman of your dreams, if you’ll just give me one more chance. As I’ve said before, it’s all a matter of science. Merged with faith, of course. Your perfect complement is out there. I know it!”
He opened his mouth as if to speak but then closed it right away. After a moment’s silence, he gave
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